Free Book Friday (the Thirteenth)

It's Friday the 13th, people!  I'm not very superstitious, but when I saw that we had a Friday the 13th coming up, I set out to find a good book to share with all of you who love the creepier tales.  Unfortunately, I don't read a lot of creepy tales these days.  I've outgrown them, I suppose.  So, when I mentioned this dilemma to my daughter, she pointed out the book I had been telling her about recently, Island of Fog.  "It sounds pretty creepy, Mom."  Well, I wouldn't have put it that way, but there are certainly a lot of secrets hiding on the Island of Fog.  So, grab a copy and dig in.  Or, better yet, leave a comment and win a free copy of this exciting book!  We'll announce the winner on Monday.

Today I have the honor of introducing you to the fabulous author, Keith Robinson.  He's working diligently on the second half of this series and has made quite an impression on fans, even catching the attention of the fabulous Piers Anthony.  Today he shares with us the process of building his series from the ground up.  So, take a peek into how it all began with Keith Robinson.

I moved to the USA from England in 2001 and started writing ISLAND OF FOG the following year.  It was a long process writing bits here and there, honing my skills, and also switching from British English to US English (which I felt was necessary if I ever planned to submit a manuscript to a US publisher.)  In 2008 I made a concerted effort to finish the novel, then sent it to a professional editor.  This was the first time anyone other than myself had read it, so I was nervous. But she loved it.

I had one copy printed by CreateSpace just because I wanted to see what it “felt” like, but once I held it in my grubby hands, I decided to go ahead with self-publishing. This was in April 2009. Somehow I ended up being “discovered” by the local library (by word of mouth) and from there I did book talks, signings, interviews, and so on, all in the local area. My books are in three public libraries, several middle schools, and on the shelves at the local Barnes & Noble (next to J. K. Rowling!). Meanwhile, bestselling fantasy author Piers Anthony favorably reviewed ISLAND OF FOG in his July 2009 newsletter, and because of that I was contacted by an agent who wanted to represent the book as a potential TV/movie property.

The book started out as a single novel, but even before I finished writing it, I’d decided to make it into a trilogy. So the second book, LABYRINTH OF FIRE, came along in November 2009. This was a six-month turnaround from start to finish, a vast improvement over six years! Clearly I had figured out what I was doing. The third book, MOUNTAIN OF WHISPERS, rounded off the trilogy in August 2010.

But as I was finishing that third book, I decided I wanted to continue the story further. Even though the trilogy had ended, I saw no reason not to start another 3-book arc. LAKE OF SPIRITS continues the story but also starts a new arcing subplot. Naturally the series is now intended to be six books (possibly more); I’m currently writing the fifth, ROADS OF MADNESS, and will start on the sixth later in the year. There seems to be an endless number of angles I can explore in this series; my only dilemma is which I should choose.

Writing a series has many benefits. The characters are established in the first book, and the rest of the series is spent expanding on their personalities. It’s a cliche, but when you write/read other books in a series, there’s a sense of “putting on a comfortable sweater.” You can be with old friends again and join them on a new adventure. And from a purely business point of view, once you sell readers on that first book, they’re going to want to get the rest in the series. It’s a no-brainer in terms of “cashing in.”

I often use a single point of view in my writing. The entire FOG series is seen through the eyes of twelve-year-old Hal Franklin. I’ve been very careful to ensure that every word of narrative is from his POV and doesn’t temporarily jump into someone else’s head. This approach works well for me, and I think it draws readers deeper into the story. For one thing, they’re not continually jumping from character to character where one subplot might, unfortunately, be less interesting than another. Also, it helps convey a greater sense of mystery; when you read a chapter about a villain plotting his Great Scheme early in the book, the reader is then more knowledgeable than the main protagonist, and it can be frustrating waiting for him to catch up. Being firmly inside the main character’s head throughout means we know only what he knows, thus heightening the mystery.

But this approach does present limitations. Occasionally a scene will take place that I would love to describe but can’t because the main character is not there. He can’t be everywhere all the time, and it would seem forced if he was. So, sadly, once in a while that scene happens “off-camera,” which itself can be a challenge. Careful plotting is needed in these instances.

Then again, careful plotting is ALWAYS needed, so nothing new there. I wrote my first book organically and ended up rewriting or deleting entire chapters when I realized I was going in the wrong direction. Writing a chapter summary beforehand means I go through that same plotting/thinking process early and can therefore avoid writing chapters I don’t need!

Want to win a free copy of Island of Fog?  Leave a comment below and you are entered to win!  The winner will be announced Monday.  *** If you are visiting us from Facebook, you need to leave Facebook and come back to us through your browser in order to leave a comment. ***

Gotta Read: Island of Fog

Allow me to pretend that I posted this yesterday.  I haven’t been feeling well and as I mentioned yesterday, I’ve been in a bit of a writing funk, which has put me behind schedule a bit. However, I just couldn’t wait to tell you about the Island of Fog.

I recently read the book, Island of Fog by Keith Robinson.  What a thrilling adventure!  It tells about a group of families who have moved to a mysterious island, covered constantly by fog.  Each family is raising a child on this tiny island and the children grow up wondering about life beyond the fog.  What is happening on the mainland?  Will they ever return to find out?  What caused their parents to move them all here and why won’t they talk about it?  

Hal Franklin is twelve years old, like the other kids on the island, and he is tired of all the mystery, of all the secrets, and especially of all the fog.  When Hal’s friend Robbie discovers a cave where all the fog seems to be coming from, they decide to cover it up with branches.  If they can stop the fog, then maybe they might be able to see the mainland, or at the very least, the sun.  This starts a dangerous chain of events that include wild and terrifying monsters, hidden secrets, and sudden transformations that leave the children struggling to understand what it’s all about.  When a visitor arrives at the island one day and takes over the school house, the children don’t know whether to trust her or fear her.  She may hold the key to understanding what is really happening on the Island of Fog or … she may be the one who destroys them all.

My Thoughts:
This book kept me turning pages furiously into the night.  Excitement, mystery, secret powers and bizarre monsters.  It has everything!  I would recommend this book to readers over fourth grade and I just know my kids are going to eat it up.  Personally, I don’t know many adults who wouldn’t enjoy this book, too.  The ending is a complete surprise (Kudos, Mr. Robinson, on that excellent turn of events, by the way) and I was happy to discover that this was only the first book in an extensive series.  Happy news for fans like me who can’t get enough.  

Where to Get It:
You can find Island of Fog at Amazon.com, or Barnes and Noble.  I downloaded my copy from BN.com as an ebook and read it on my ipad with the Nook app.  You can also find all of Mr. Robinson’s books at his fabulous website, unearthlytales.com


More to Come:
Come back tomorrow to hear from the author himself.  He’s offering a free copy of his book to one lucky reader.  Just leave a comment below and you are entered to win!  The winner will be declared on Monday. *** If you are visiting us from Facebook, you need to leave Facebook and come back through your browser in order to leave a comment. ***


Gotta Read,
Heather

In a Funk

**** Congratulations to Robyn Leatherman who won the copy of TEEN Agents in the Plundered Parent Protocol!  ****

We all know that writers (and other artist types) are known for their moodiness.  The truth is writing, like many art forms, is a study in extremes.  Even without global success, writers like moi experience this phenomenon.  When you finish a story that's been rolling around inside of you for a while, it is such an awesome high.  You feel exuberant and eager to share it with the world.  Then, eventually, you come crashing down when you realize it is obviously flawed and the world does not share your enthusiasm for the work you've done.

In addition to this unavoidable scenario, you, as writer, will stumble inevitably into the dreaded writer's block.  After writing for weeks without stop, you suddenly find yourself crushed up against a wall of nothingness.  No words can be found, formed, and filled into the void that has become your latest manuscript.   It's disheartening at the very least.  At the worst, it can be what leads to drunkeness and debauchery in so many of the world's best artists.  I now can say I understand an inkling of their pain.

After finishing my recent novel, I found my mind aflood with imagery that needed to be expressed.  I wrote daily, almost obsessively, for months.  However, as I turned my attention to the sequel, I found myself slowing to a crawl.  I couldn't help but focus on all the flaws in my original manuscript.  I began to worry about the reactions of those I had sent it to for feedback and review.  I thought I would snap out of this funk by shifting my attention to other writerly pursuits like this blog.  Alas, now the funk has spread. I began avoiding the computer altogether.  I find myself struggling to sit down and type even one sentence of inspiration for all of you lovely readers.

But, lo!  What do I see?  I have now finished three paragraphs.  They may not be brilliant, they are certainly flawed, but they are there.  They exist.  It's a start.  I am reminded of a thought I recently read.  Some author more brilliant than I stated that to be a writer you must write every day.  (Okay, actually, ALL the writers I know say this, so that is no surprise.)  He goes on to explain that even if you write drivel three or four days in a row, on the next day you may write something brilliant.  This spark becomes a fire and soon enough you are writing again like never before.  What a wonderful thought!

Don't give up when you hit that wall.  Keep writing.  Maybe you have to switch gears, write in a journal for a few days, write letters to your grandmother, write instructions on how to feed your pet gerbil.  I don't know, but keep writing.  Write every day!  This is how you overcome, by continuing on even when life tries to slow you down.  Don't give up.  The words will come eventually, but it is your job to be there when they arrive, ready to capture them and force them into submission.  Are you ready?

Gotta Write,
Heather

Friendly Free Book Friday

****Comment below to win a copy of TEEN Agents in the Plundered Parent Protocol.****

This week we are excited to introduce you to Joshua Unruh, author of the fabulously fun TEEN Agents series.  Today he shares with us how his childhood interests influenced the writing of The Plundered Parent Protocol.  (This is my daughter's new favorite book!  And she is "totally a huge fan of Mr. Unruh.  He's so cool!"  Well, there you go.  I can't top that as an introduction.  Here's Mr. Totally Cool himself, Joshua Unruh.

Sausage Innards

Heather asked me to talk a little bit about how the things I liked when I was a pre-teen and teenager (I’m old enough that there wasn’t a questionable label like tween when it would have fit me) fed into my fevered brain and came out as TEEN Agents in the Plundered Parent Protocol.

Well, this ought to be easy. A lot of the stuff I liked then is stuff I still like now!

I like it in a different, more grown-up way (or so I’ve convinced myself). But it’s still a lot of the same stuff from back in the day. That age is when I started to discover things other than superheroes that were going to gnaw into my brain like a worm and stay there forever. The second most important of those discoveries was espionage fiction. More specifically, it was Spy-fi.

For ease, I’m going to use the Wikipedia entry’s definition of Spy-Fi:

It often uses a secret agent (solo or in a team) or superspy whose mission is a showcase of science fiction elements such as technology and ideas used for extortion, plots for world domination or world destruction, futuristic weapons, gadgets and fast vehicles that can travel on land, fly, or sail on or under the sea.

My dad was a HUGE Man from U.N.C.L.E. fan when he was a kid. He got me watching it and, for some reason I still can’t understand, whatever channel ran it had Avengers afterward. No, not the superheroes with Iron Man and Captain America. Rather, a British male and female duo calmly and coolly handling all of Britain’s weird scientists and would-be worldbeaters. The godawful movie Wild Wild West, a Western Spy-fi, also came out around this time and, thank goodness, my dad was there for me on that one too. He let me know the seed was a television show that was not godawful.

Spy-fi felt to me like spies, which I loved, married with superheroes, which I loved EVEN MORE. The final nail in the coffin was discovering Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD. This was superspies set in a comic book universe with existing superheroes and supervillains. Peanut butter meet chocolate.

My favorite Young Adult literature will always be superheroes. But when I decided to have female protagonists, I had to deal with the fact that the ladies don’t really dig on superheroes. But heroines have always had a strong place in Spy-fi. Emma Peel was at least as popular as John Steed. Contessa was a supporting character for Nick Fury, but she still managed to get a lot of solo stories. There was even a Girl from U.N.C.L.E. spin-off that I liked as much as the Man.

In the modern era, you have Bond girl Wai Linn (Michelle Yeoh) showing up the titular character. You’ve got Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) leading an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink Spy-fi show called Alias for five seasons. There was a La Femme Nikita remake starring Maggie Q. Batwoman is the best Bat-Family book on the shelves. ABC Family, of all places, gave us Natalie Morales in The Middle Man, which feels like TEEN Agents after it graduated from college.

Clearly if I wanted to write a book with female protagonists that would appeal to young ladies as well as 12-year-old-me, it had to be a Spy-fi book. And that’s a biggest part of how TEEN Agents was born.

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The Writer's Life: Encouragement

****If you would like to win a free copy of TEEN Agents in the Plundered Parent Protocol by Joshua Unruh, please leave a comment below.****

 I love teaching almost as much as I love writing.  Each year I get to work with some incredible young writers as we write together during National Writing Month.  I work with writers as young as second grade! It's fabulous fun watching them try new things and bravely capture all their thoughts and ideas on paper.  I love it!

I find middle school writers to be particularly interested in developing their craft.  However, these writers are so often easily discouraged by teachers, parents and friends when the people around them don't see the value in the hobby they have chosen.  It's often solitary work, that of a writer, and I think young people feel the pain of it more easily.  They don't want to be the weird one who would rather curl up with a good book than play soccer, or hide in a quiet spot with their writing notebook instead of play at recess.  But, for those of us with this love of words burning in our hearts, we can't deny it for long.  Eventually we're right back in that favorite place, scribbling furiously or reading as fast as we can stand.

All it takes to keep us going is a friend smiling good naturedly when they find us hiding with our journal, or a pat on the back from a teacher, a "good job" from mom or dad or favorite aunt.  A little encouragement goes a long way.  Some of these young writers will be the next great novelist or write a smash movie script, but most will just be really eloquent as they defend their doctoral dissertation or write an encouraging letter to a heartbroken friend.   So, let's cheer them on!  Give them a smile when they chatter to you about their writing and then show them this blog.  I hope to be the friendly voice who encourages them to keep trying, keep reading, keep writing.

If you know any young writers you want to encourage, please share my site with them, too.  Hand them some paper and a pencil on Mondays when I post a writing exercise or ask them what they think about The Writer's Life posts each Thursday.  Challenge them to think, to read and, above all, to keep writing.

 Gotta write, Heather

Learning From Mistakes

I made a mistake. When I set up this blog I didn't check the comment settings. It honestly never occurred to me. Well, last week during our free book giveaway I discovered the problem when I realized that a hundred people had looked at the blog, but not one of them had posted a comment for our contest! The two devoted fans who jumped through the hoops and hurdles in order to get their comments posted should be lauded. Still, I don't intend to make it so difficult to participate in our giveaways, or any other discussion for that matter. If you were one of the many trying to comment for your chance to win Into the Flames, by Jessie Sanders, I'm sorry. You can still find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Learning from mistakes like this one, I've decided to move our contest announcements to Wednesday. Each week I hope to introduce to you a fabulous new book from an indie author. Last week I told you about TEEN Agents in the Plundered Parent Protocol. Well, on Friday we will get to hear from the author, Joshua Unruh, as he shares some of the inspiration he's carried from childhood into his books. He has graciously offered to share a free copy with one of our lucky readers!

So, leave a comment below for your chance to win and then be a good friend and share the link. We make it easy for you. Just click one of the buttons below to share it on your favorite social site. Then, come back Friday and see what the author has to say. We'll announce the winners this weekend, so stay tuned.

A Writing Exercise

****Congratulations to Shannon Iverson who won the Free Book Friday contest! We'll have a new free book offer this Friday, so come back and comment for your chance to take home a new book!**** 

Hello, writerlings!  Today is April 2nd which means Script Frenzy is in full swing.  For those of you who don't have a clue what script frenzy is, you can look back at my post about it or follow the link to the Script Frenzy website.  There you can sign up to join the masses as they fearlessly quest to write a complete script in one month.  (If you are a grown up writer who wants to join the fun, go here.)

Even if you never intend to write a script of any kind, I found this fabulous worksheet from week two of their "bootcamp" to be an excellent writing exercise.    It focuses on your main character's motivation for their journey and then helps you to define more of your villain as well.  We had lots of fun going through the worksheets here at home with our young writers and I thought you might enjoy it, too.  I found the following questions particularly helpful as I am currently editing my recent novel:


1. What does your main character want?
2. What does he or she need to do to make his or her dreams come true?
3. How does he or she change during the journey?

It's funny how I thought I knew the answers to those questions when I started out writing, but now that I am looking back on a finished draft, I see that the answers have changed a bit.  As a matter of fact, the answer to the first question was very hard to find.  My character starts out her story thinking she wants one thing, but discovers in the end she wants something very different.  Isn't that so often true?  Even in my own life I see this happening.  This is part of what contributes to a character's change, growth.

How well do you know your characters?  Are they living inside of you yet?  Can you understand them well enough to know why they do what they do?  If not, this simple exercise will help you to breathe a little life into those precious creatures before you send them off on their journey.  Come back and tell us how it helped you!

Gotta write,
Heather